The United States is honoring Chief Justice John Marshall with a commemorative coin in celebration of the 250th anniversary of his birth. The Chief Justice John Marshall Silver Dollar not only pays tribute to the Supreme Court of the United States, but also recognizes the entire judicial branch of government. This is the first time a United States coin (regular issue or commemorative) has featured a Supreme Court Justice or the Supreme Court as an institution.

On February 4, 1801, John Marshall was sworn in as Chief Justice of the United States. He was the fourth man to serve in that capacity after the Court was created in 1789, and he served 34 years as Chief Justice.

Under Marshall’s leadership, the English practice of each Justice writing his own opinion was replaced with the Court’s speaking with one majority voice, a practice that remains to the present day. Marshall wrote the Court’s opinion in 519 of the 1,106 cases decided during his tenure—almost half. He championed the primacy of the Court through his power of persuasion, congenial manner, and shrewd sense of policy.

In 1803, only two years after Marshall became Chief Justice, the Court announced its opinion in Marbury v. Madison, asserting that the judicial branch has the authority to judge the validity of an Act of Congress and to overturn the Act if it is not in conformity with the United States Constitution. This doctrine of judicial review has become a cardinal principle of U.S. constitutional law. Marshall also authored many landmark opinions establishing the supremacy of national law and the authority of the Constitution.

The Chief Justice John Marshall Silver Dollar will be available in both proof and uncirculated condition and has a maximum mintage of 400,000 coins. Surcharges from the sale of each coin are authorized to support the Supreme Court Historical Society. Public Law 108-290, signed August 6, 2004, authorizes the minting of a silver dollar to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the birth of Chief Justice John Marshall. Coins may be minted and issued between January 1, 2005, and December 31, 2005.

Coins are tentatively scheduled to be released in spring 2005.

The next quarter to be released this year is the Oregon State Quarter and the Oregonians are getting ready to par-tay.

Travel Oregon, Gov. Ted Kulongoski’s office, Crater Lake National Park, and Southern Oregon tourism organizations hope the quarter will encourage visitors and raise money for the Crater Lake National Park Trust.

Tourism is worth $7 billion a year in Oregon.

With an estimated 140 million Americans collecting the state series, the hope is that Oregon’s quarter, which features Crater Lake on the reverse side, will generate publicity.

The quarter’s actual release date is June 6. The summer long promotion kicks off in cooperation with the U.S. Mint on June 15 at the Oregon Historical Society in Portland.

There will be an outdoor party on the South Park Blocks in downtown Portland. Attendees age 18 and under will receive a free quarter and the public will be able to buy $10 rolls of uncirculated quarters — one of the last chances to do so before the coins work their way into circulation.

Read the full article.

This question comes from Ron (although, it’s really not a question, as much as a statement saying he wants to know something, but that’s good enough for me).

Question: I would like to know the name given to the buffalo on the new nickel.

Answer: The design for the nickel was drawn by Jamie Franki, an associate professor of illustration and design at The University of North Carolina at Charlotte. According to a press release from UNC, “Franki said while creating his design for the nickel, he looked at endless photographs of buffalo for inspiration. He also researched the history of numismatic design to hone his artistic process.”

So it looks like there isn’t a name because the design was modeled after so many different ones. It’s a combination of all of them.

However, in honor of the designer, perhaps we can call it Frank.

Raymond Hanisco, of BellaOnline, interviewed Ron Guth, author of Coin Collecting for Dummies and posted it online.

I’ve included a few highlights below, or you can view the original article.

How would you describe what your book “Coin Collecting for Dummies” is about and why did you decide to write it?

“’Coin Collecting for Dummies’ is really aimed at getting people excited about collecting coins, and it is not just for the beginner, but some of it is aimed at the advanced collector (someone who has been collecting for a while). It really is about getting people excited about coin collecting and introducing them to the things they will be encountering when they first start. One of the problems with numismatics and coin collecting is that you pretty much get thrown into it, and either you swim or sink. I wanted to provide some helpful information for those people just starting out so they can avoid some of the mistakes that a lot of people make when they first start collecting.”

Who do you think could benefit from reading [your book]?

“Really anybody, as there are tips in there for anybody, beginners to advanced collectors. … I go into selling your collection, which is a major decision. [When selling your collection], it is difficult to let go, and … it is easy to make a big mistake. So, I try to give some advice. Whether you go to auction, or whether you pursue other avenues, collectors have a feeling of a personal attachment to the coins in their collections.”

There has been a mad rush to buy the Vatican’s last series of euro-denominated coins bearing the image of Pope John Paul, ordered before his death and already soaring in value.

Some brought sleeping bags and camped on the streets near the 4th century Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls to snap up the eight-coin set before supplies ran out.

But not everyone was a collector or buying for sentimental reasons. Many were just looking for a good return on their outlay, with the 23 euros cost expected to yield returns of more than 300 euros because of the rarity.

“We think it will sell for 350 euros,” (that’s around $450USD) one buyer told Italian television, moments after making his purchase.

From what I can tell, they’re not selling for all that much. On eBay the average price I saw for Pope John Paul coins was around $15-$30, but it may go up as supplies dry up.

Here’s a news article that has a picture of the coin in case you want to make sure you get the right one.